Post by goldenfist on Nov 27, 2008 10:42:00 GMT -5
Ign.com reviews Thor: MAN OF WAR #1.
Thor's resurgence at Marvel has been an unexpected treat this year. Between Straczynski's work on the flagship title and the excellent "Truth of History" one-shot from Alan Davis, the Norse God of Thunder hasn't been this fun since… well ever. So when I say that Matt Fraction's three-part epic is perhaps the best of the bunch, the compliment isn't exactly the defaulted sort of praise a Thor title might have received a year ago.
Focusing on Thor's daddy issues, Thor: Man of War is easily the most grandiose chapter in Fraction's series, but arguably the weakest (if only by comparison). The story- predominated by chaos and carnage- takes a different approach from earlier installments, sacrificing some of the human element in exchange for sheer excitement. Personally, I preferred the earlier issues' focused set of depraved fables, but at the same time, the elevated drama stemming from Thor's battle with Odin provides more than enough intrigue in its own right.
Fraction does an excellent job of muddying the moral lines enough that we don't know whom to root for. On the one hand, Thor is wreaking untold havoc. Yet, it's hard to say that his victims don't really deserve it. The resulting struggle of ideology makes for a fun romp in the arc's climactic chapter; the battle between Thor and Odin being further leavened by the beautiful pencils of Patrick Zircher.
The artwork on this series as a whole has been outstanding, but Zircher's pencils in the final few pages of Man of War are by far the champion amongst a strong set of competition. The atmospheric billows of lightning and fire are beautifully wrought, accentuating the bevy of poster worthy battle frames, themselves imbedded with a memorable set of figure work.
So when I say this is the weakest chapter, it's important to keep everything in perspective. This issue is still outstanding in just about every way, even if it lacks some of the debauched charm from previous installments. Fraction's diverse storytelling really shines in this series, his work on Thor being arguably the best of his mainstream career. This is mythology at its best and a noteworthy testament to the creativity of an incredibly versatile creator.
Review Score: 8.3 Impressive
Thor's resurgence at Marvel has been an unexpected treat this year. Between Straczynski's work on the flagship title and the excellent "Truth of History" one-shot from Alan Davis, the Norse God of Thunder hasn't been this fun since… well ever. So when I say that Matt Fraction's three-part epic is perhaps the best of the bunch, the compliment isn't exactly the defaulted sort of praise a Thor title might have received a year ago.
Focusing on Thor's daddy issues, Thor: Man of War is easily the most grandiose chapter in Fraction's series, but arguably the weakest (if only by comparison). The story- predominated by chaos and carnage- takes a different approach from earlier installments, sacrificing some of the human element in exchange for sheer excitement. Personally, I preferred the earlier issues' focused set of depraved fables, but at the same time, the elevated drama stemming from Thor's battle with Odin provides more than enough intrigue in its own right.
Fraction does an excellent job of muddying the moral lines enough that we don't know whom to root for. On the one hand, Thor is wreaking untold havoc. Yet, it's hard to say that his victims don't really deserve it. The resulting struggle of ideology makes for a fun romp in the arc's climactic chapter; the battle between Thor and Odin being further leavened by the beautiful pencils of Patrick Zircher.
The artwork on this series as a whole has been outstanding, but Zircher's pencils in the final few pages of Man of War are by far the champion amongst a strong set of competition. The atmospheric billows of lightning and fire are beautifully wrought, accentuating the bevy of poster worthy battle frames, themselves imbedded with a memorable set of figure work.
So when I say this is the weakest chapter, it's important to keep everything in perspective. This issue is still outstanding in just about every way, even if it lacks some of the debauched charm from previous installments. Fraction's diverse storytelling really shines in this series, his work on Thor being arguably the best of his mainstream career. This is mythology at its best and a noteworthy testament to the creativity of an incredibly versatile creator.
Review Score: 8.3 Impressive